The 15 Best-Written Female Characters In Cinema

Hushpuppy – Beasts Of The Southern Wild (2012)

Played by Quvenzhane Wallis, Hushpuppy is a six year old girl living in bayou community known as The Bathtub, which is cut off from the world by a levee. Her mother is gone, and her father (Dwight Henry) is foul-tempered and unwell. Meanwhile, her teacher, Mrs. Bathsheba (Gina Montana), teaches her young charges about the natural world and about prehistoric Aurochs being released from melting ice caps. As life unfolds in their unique world, a storm approaches. The inclement weather devastates the community and Hushpuppy embarks on a journey of discovery that takes her beyond The Bathtub and back again – to finally face down the Aurochs, and confront the reality of her father’s mortality.

The film is written by Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin (who also directs), and is adapted from Alibar’s one-act play, Juicy And Delicious. It presents Hushpuppy as a fearless young girl, compelled to poke and prod at the boundaries of her community, her family, her imagination and her experience. She effervesces with curiosity and questions, and bluntly refuses to have her expectations moulded by those around her.

Mostly, we see a young girl, learning about her world, and becoming the hero and leader that her community needs. What we are left with, is the overwhelming desire to see what a powerful woman Hushpuppy will undoubtedly become.

Rose Sayer – The African Queen (1951)

Siblings Samuel and Rose Sayer are British Methodist missionaries living and working in the village of Kungdu in German East Africa in 1914. Their regular supply delivery arrives courtesy of the steamer boat The African Queen, and its captain, Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart) – and he informs them of the outbreak of World War 1.

The Sayers choose to remain in the village, which is soon attacked by German forces, and Samuel is brutally murdered. Charlie returns, assists Rose, and the two make their escape on his boat. When Charlie mentions that there is a German gunboat patrolling nearby, Rose decides that they should sink it in retaliation, and in support of the war effort – and she manages to persuade Charlie to join her in the endeavour.

The remainder of the film – which was adapted for the screen by director John Huston and writer James Agee – depicts the obstacles that Rose and Charlie must overcome in order to arrive at the point where they can attack the German gunboat. They must navigate ever-shallowing river channels, increasingly violent rapids, and a German fort filled with hostile soldiers.

Throughout, Rose and Charlie clash over everything from the management of the boat to the plan of attack, while developing a grudging respect and eventual romantic relationship. Rose is the anchor of the pair – her character providing the necessary determination and motivation to get them through their situation to their eventual goal.

Celie Johnson – The Color Purple (1985)

Adapted for the big screen by Menno Meyjes, from the novel of the same name by Alice Walker, The Color Purple charts the life of Celie Johnson, played by Whoopi Goldberg, in rural America during the early 1900s. We see her in childhood – abused by her father, she is a mother of two by the age of 14, with a third child on the way. He takes her children from her, and marries her off to a much older man (Danny Glover), who also abuses her and treats her like a slave.

Living under the oppressive regime of her husband, Celie finds solace and comfort in the companionship of her sister, Nettie (Akousa Busia), and friends Sofia (Oprah Winfrey) and Shug (Margaret Avery) – all of whom face challenges of their own. Sofia and Shug are present at a family dinner when, eventually, Celie rises against her husband – fighting back and leaving him. By the end of the film, Celie has become a successful small-business owner, surrounded by her children, and loved by her community.

As the central character, Celie is the depiction of a woman in search of herself, who is prevented in her endeavour by sexist, abusive men. She overcomes that obstacle, however, and chooses to be informed by the years of pain and suffering, rather than be defined by it.